Advance
by Enors Mist
Summary: "Bow to death, Clans. Don't fight it. Face your doom and die." Alice said with a dark smirk, her claws unsheathed. "Do not bow to death. Battle it," Nightleap hissed in response. "Advance!"
1. Prophecy

The Mountains Promise, the Clouds word, the Eagles claw, the Falcons fang, and the Nights Eye will save the clans, and bring home the sky.

Mistfeather's amber eyes jerked open, her sleek gray pelt ruffled and untidy.

She staggered to her feet, muttering under her breath. She had seen the stars. They had spoken to her. She had to tell Featherstar...

She walked out of the den as calmly as she could, blinking in the harsh morning sunlight.

The rest of WindClan was awake. She saw Featherstar in the shade, talking with Hillclaw, the deputy.

Mistfeather walked up to Featherstar, and blurted out what the Stars had told her.

Featherstars black-and-white fur was messier than usual.

And then Featherstar said the least likely thing possible.

"I know."


	2. Skies

Nightleap sighed, opening her silvery-blue eyes. It was odd how when they reflected light they were plain silver. Three other cats in the Clans were like this, with sliver-blue eyes.

Her sleek black fur reflected the sunset as the orange rays of light attempted feebly to claw their way into the world but at last gave up and sank, exhausted from shining in the sky, now vanishing behind the hills.

"Hey Nightleap! Nightleap, want to go hunting?"

She looked up.

A young silvery-gray tom was bouncing up and down in front of her.

"In the morning, Streambounce."

The young warrior turned around, and bounced off.

Nightleap stood up. She was usually thought to be like Streambounce because of her name. But she was actually named 'Leap' for her jumping skills and how she usually made leaps of imagination for battle strategy.

She looked up at the twilight sky, the first spirits of Silverpelt appearing as the moon became clearer and clearer in the darkening sky.

"There's a gathering tonight. We need to get going."

Nightleap turned around, and saw a familiar black-and white she-cat with gray-green eyes standing behind her.

"Have you decided on the new deputy yet? There has to be one if the other Clans are to accept us." Nightleap asked, looking nervously at the rising moon. Before long the gathering would start and they would miss it.

"No...it is truly a loss that Hillclaw died so young. He did not need to be so reckless." Featherstar sighed, her eyes filled with grief. The old leader had seen many cats die, but Hillclaw had been her younger brother. He died trying to stop a badger from attacking the rest of his patrol. He should have just ran. His last word had been Advance.

"But you're right. I'll appoint the new deputy at the gathering." Featherstar looked behind her, eyes narrowing. "I don't trust ThunderClan anymore, since Dewstar became leader. I don't trust that cat. I'll only take you, Mistfeather, Streambounce, Lightstep and Skypaw."

Nightleap nodded. ThunderClan had been threatening them for a while now.

* * *

Featherstar jumped into the tree with the other leaders. Nightleap noticed Mountainstar from RiverClan looking concerned at how tired Featherstar looked.

"...And then the mangy rogue fled. We turned to see what he had run from, and he had run from a badger. Hillclaw told us to advance and tried to hold off the badger, but the ugly brute killed him. We had to run up trees to avoid the badger's wrath. It's still in our territory."

Streambounce was telling the story of Hillclaw's death to a bunch of apprentices and young warriors grouped around him.

"But who killed the badger?" Cloudpaw from ShadowClan asked, her voice alight with interest.

"Honestly! It's still alive! He said that!" Eagletalon said rudely. But that was to be expected from a ThunderClan cat.

"Well, excuse me for not being perfect!"

"No ones perfect, you big ShadowClan dolt!"

"Shut up, you big ThunderClan oaf!"

Nightleap decided to put a stop to the argument before it got out of hand.

"You two. Stop arguing. Cloudpaw, I've heard that Rockstar is rough with punishments. Eagletalon, warriors should know better than to start petty arguments."

The two cats muttered apologies and slunk off into the shadows at opposite ends of the clearing.

"Let the gathering begin!" Yowled Featherstar after a whispered and slightly panicked seeming conference with the other leaders.

Mountainstar began.

"RiverClan has been thriving. Since the river has only frozen once this leaf-bare we have had plenty of food. We have one new warrior, Dropheart, a new apprentice, Puddlepaw, and two new kits named Emberkit and Amberkit, the daughters of Fireleap and Reedheart."

The Clans chanted the new names.

Dewstar stepped forward next.

"ThunderClan has been

* * *

thriving! We have no new warriors, or kits, but one new apprentice. Do not chant Sparkpaw's name."

There was silence.

Rockstar stepped forward next.

"I am sorry to say that Flameleap, Dayheart, and their three kits all drowned yesterday. We have no other news to report.

Featherstar stepped forward, looking very old compared to the other leaders.

"Today we lost our deputy Hillclaw when he was defending Streambounce and Skypaw from a badger that attacked them on hunting patrol. He died so that his kin could run. We never found his body."

A low murmur of fear rippled through the crowd of cats.

"I say these words below the spirit of Hillclaw so that he may hear and approve these words. Nightleap will be the new deputy of WindClan."

Nightleap's eyes widened. She had expected Lightstep to be the new deputy.

The Clans chanted her name.

"Nightleap! Nightleap! Nightleap!"

* * *

Nightleap walked over the hills as the stars sparkled overhead. She thought about last night. The gathering.

She found her feet leading her to the place she had lived until she was six moons old. Horseplace.

She had been kept prisoner in a dark barn, with the only light coming from a tiny hole in the roof covered with glass.

She had grown up with old horses stamping angrily. Three of them had died, leaving two alone.

Nightleap now sat on a fencepost, looking at the cheerful red barn.

She leaped down, walking up the barn. The door was open a crack now.

"Night? Is that you? Have you come home?"

Nightleap turned around.

Her sister, Little, was standing behind her. The black she-cat was standing in front of her, a rat at her paws.

"I'm Nightleap now."

"You...you were Outside? It will close again soon. The Twolegs will notice and shut you in. They'll be glad you came back."

Nightleap shook her head. "I can't go back to living in a cage."

"But cages are safe. Nothing hurts you."

Nightleap shook her head, her eyes gentle as they had not been for moons upon moons.

"Nothing is safe."

'Cages are!"

Nightleap turned, slipping through the door again.

She looked behind her, her eyes hard and strong again.

"Isn't the sky in a cage just a little too tiny?"


End file.
